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I'm busy making a mechanical ball counter GBC and designed the below cipher wheel. There will be 5 of them so counting to 99.999 because per event day about 26.000 balls can run through a GBC. Each cipher wheel can be taken out to set to zero because I don't want to turn the wheels back 26.000 times and the end of the day. The mechanism to pass on 1 turn per 10 turns is an excellent design from Pallax. When more parts arrive I hope to finish it soon and present a video.

Whenever I put train cars on display in my room, they tend to roll away unless I put them at a funky angle, since the shelves aren't level. I designed a set of holders that the Lego train wheel piece sits on so they don't run away:
The nice render above is sized for bogies with two studs between the wheel pieces - I designed up holders for single wheel bogies, and holders for bogies from zero to two studs between the wheels as seen below:
These should help keep my trains from rolling away. I'll have to do them in gray the next time I have gray loaded into the printer.

Modern LEGO wheel hubs are known to suffer from a lot of slack. Other drawbacks are that you can only use them with CVT joints - not with the stronger and more angleable U-joints - and the section inbetween the pin holes of the hub is wider than 1 stud.
While playing with one of them I noticed that part of the slack is because the DBG pins don't sit very tight in the wheel's pin holes. It helps a little if you have an axle running through the wheel which extends into the DBG-part of the hub.
Now I know @nicjasno sells modified wheel hubs based on small turn tables, which have much less slack than the original wheel hubs. But than you still can only use them with the weak CVT joints. And you have a modified part. So I looked into using a turntable as wheel hub for the 15038 wheel (with 6 pinholes) without modifying it and it gives quite a good result. Better than the LEGO wheel hub:
The turn table is attached to the wheel with 2 3L pins. The assembly inside the wheel makes sure the turn table's pinholes are attached to a pin and not to an axle (which would give slack) and sits tight against the inside of the wheel to give stability. Finally an extra belt wheel is attached to the wheel to give even more stability to the 2 3L pins that connect the assembly to the wheel.

I created this modified Bucket Wheel Excavator some time ago, and I thought I would like to share it on this forum.
After building the original BWE, I wanted to try to incorporate some Mindstorms functions into it. I managed to motorise all the active functions, using both an EV3 brick and motors, as well as some PF motors.
Functions can be preprogrammed, or can be remotely controlled using an EV3 IR remote. Here is a list of the functions:
Bucket wheel rotation and main conveyor belt - PF XL motor
Lower conveyor belt - PF medium motor
Boom arm elevation - EV3 large motor
Lower conveyor swivel - EV3 large motor
Superstructure rotation - EV3 medium motor
Driving - EV3 medium motor
Since I owned an NXT as well, I used it to motorise the small mining truck that was included in the set.
There are also some LEDs that illuminate the 'work area', but they don't really do a good job, its just a nice thing to include.
Here is a video of the excavator in action, as well as the mining truck (sorry about the poor resolution and bit rate):
More info about the machine can be found here: https://www.us.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/community/robot?projectid=3e125a5b-475c-4a4c-b3ed-e4b4f2192907
Let me know what you think of it in the comments!

Hello good people of Eurobricks,
The other day I built up the set 8051 motorbike applying some minor modification like different color scheme and some change on bodywork to make it look like more like a stuntbike. These changes did not alter the basic geometry and size. (apart from the rear fork what is one stud shorter.) Despite the fact that I caught the stuntbike feeling quite well (for my taste at least) I couldn't get along with the end product. I figured the wheels were slightly bigger (in diameter) than they supposed to be. So I grabbed my tape measure, digged up some pics on google of real bikes and came to the conclusion that these wheels are about 10 percent out of scale compare to the real proportion. The lack of width made the impression even worse to me.
Trying to solve the problem I begun to play around with the old type bike wheels. I found their diameter is just the desired size but these were ridiculously narrow for the job. Searching in the forum here I've seen some builders used two of these rims with this tyre from the set 8448 Street sensation. The flat profile didn't make me happy though. Finally I worked out something using two rims and two tyres of the old type. The result has the right diameter, width, and rounded profile as it should be. (video at the end of the post)
Here is a picture to illustrate the proportion problems:
Upper left: Original 8051
Upper right: A random naked bike
Lower left: my "pimped" 8051 with smaller wheels
Lower right: The original wheels of 8051 built into a frame with realistic proportion
As I said above the difference isn't huge, but it is there.
Here is a few more pic to highlight the point I'm trying to make:
I wonder if you guys share my opinion on this subject...
Few more pics of these bikes:
I know the front tyre sholdn't be this wide, but still better than a single (IMHO)
Please note that this "connector bike" is still under development. It is meant to represent the size of bike I found appropriate to the wheel size.
On the rear wheel I'm using the rear tyre of 8420 Street Bike. It fits perfectly on the new rim.
Also I made a tutorial video, how to make that wide tyre modification:
(Purist may find it disturbing . I can ensure you no harm done to any parts. Luckily those old tyres are so soft they can take any abuse.)
Hope you can find some usefull in the post.
Happy sunday.

I got the Bucket Wheel Excavator in September last year, and after building it and modifying it (with Mindstorms), I dismantled it to use the pieces in my other Mindstorms creations. I'm particularly interested in the large yellow planetary gears/rings that come with the set, I hope to use them to create some sort of tank with a rotating turret. However, I'm not too sure about the geometry of the pin-holes in the rings, I don't really know where it is safe to attach a pin in a certain hole. If anyone knows of the correct geometry of the rings, it would be very helpful!

Due to a large haul of Lego pieces I acquired from a friend, I took a look back at my collection of loose Lego parts to make some room for them. The problem is that I have an overabundance of tires which are very dirty. What should I do to clean them? If my childhood memories are correct, just washing or rinsing them in water alone was never enough; when left to dry, dust re-adhered to the tires in larger quantities -especially when dried off with a napkin. What must be done to get them looking and feeling like new?

Hello, I have created a better scale tire & rim for trucks and light industry vehicles with a proper rim offset. The proportions allow for dual tire mounting and single. Is there any intrest within the community to have something like this produced? (in low volumes) I would look forward to hearing any insight/ feedback - purists need not respond! :) The tire would be a flexible rubber like material, rim would be SLS printed or ABS.

Well, so now we have seen some reviews of the new LEGO models, and modifications and improvements of the other ones, and i think its time for the 42055, so lets start:
My first modifications would be improve the force of the bucket, because as far i could see, the bucket is driven by the chains of the conveyor belt, so even an small object is able to stop it (like Sariel showed in his review), i would put an axle going from the gearbox directly to the bucket, or even a motor behind it, so there would not be too much power loss.
Another modification i would like to do is in the tracks, i would like to put an small gearbox in the lower frame (i think there is enough space there), to select between some driving types, maybe something like a subtractor gearbox.
And for the last, i would improve the turning system of the lower conveyor belt, as we can see in the review of Sariel, there is an small backlash in the system when the excavator changes the turning direction.
So post any more idea or suggestion you have for this huge and impressive set.

I'm in the process of planning an air-powered vehicle that should be able to freely slide in any direction on a smooth, hard surface.
For this to work, I thought of using 3 or 4 of these Technic ball pivots to support it:
One of them is used in place of a 3'rd wheel in this Mindstorms model:
Does anyone have any experience with them as to how freely the bearing rolls inside the ball joint? If a light craft was supported on 3 of these, how much force would require it to roll?
Thanks in advance!

Hi Guys!
This topic is where I will be adding updates to the new parts that I make available via Shapeways. There is also a FB page where I'll be posting new designs.
For a bit of personal history, I work in the architectural field and 3D modeling has been a passion for the last 12 years. When I finally had a family of my own, I rediscovered the boxes of LEGO I carefully stored from the 80's.
Not long after, I decided to combine the two things I enjoy doing: Technic and 3D.
Here are some of the parts that are already size approved and available:
The GoPro Adapter is the only product that is available pre-printed on Bricklink in a very limited quantity.
Since my intention is not to sell via this thread, you can find more details on the Facebook page in my signature.

Yesterday I've build this smaal speeder.
It's called the Explorer Speeder. It can be used to explore planets.
It's just a quick builded MOC. I'm busy with some MOCs which are more complicated, so it's also fun to build some easier MOCs
01_Explorer_Speeder by LegoMathijs, on Flickr
02_Explorer_Speeder by LegoMathijs, on Flickr
03_Explorer_Speeder by LegoMathijs, on Flickr
hope you like it :)

So, I was fooling around with one of my many bins of parts, and I came across some X-pod parts, specifically these:
Milan had me thinking about building wheels with good and realistic offset, and that got me thinking, would this fit in a 94.8 tire?
As it turns out, it totally does. And, it's a pretty nice fit. I can't move the tire relative to the wheel at all.
Wheel Idea by Saberwing007, on Flickr
Wheel Idea by Saberwing007, on Flickr
One thrown together hub piece later, and you can see that the pivot point is now a whole lot closer to the center of the tire.
Wheel Idea by Saberwing007, on Flickr
Also, a turntable would totally fit in here. I just don't have one lying around to show.

REVIEW - 42030 - VOLVO L350F WHEEL LOADER
INTRODUCTION
The Nuremberg Toy Fair is always an exciting event when it comes to revealing new LEGO sets. This year was no exception. We finally got to see visuals of the upcoming Technic Flagship. This time LEGO teamed up with Volvo to create an impressive version of the Volvo L350F Wheel Loader. In this review we will find out how TLG's interpretation compares to the actual Wheel Loader and whether it's worth the whopping 220 euro you need to fork out to own this bad boy.
The designer behind this model is Uwe Wabra, who has designed other great models like the iconic 8258 Crane Truck and the 8285 Tow Truck. It took him about eight months to design the Volvo L350F.
Volvo Spirit Magazine
"The Nuremberg Toy Fair in February saw global toy giant the LEGO Group unveil its latest flagship model from LEGO®Technic. With 1,600 individual pieces and the largest individual element ever created for the brand, the Volvo L350F wheel loader is not simply one of the company’s 2014 star performers – it is just as impressive as the real-life machine it is based upon."
Read more...
Volvo Press Release
Volvo Construction Equipment and LEGO® Technic have joined forces to create a miniature remote-controlled L350F Wheel Loader in Volvo livery that not only drives, steers, lifts and loads just like the real thing it also converts into an equally impressive hauler.
Read more...
Credits
Before we continue I would like to thank LEGO for providing the set and the possibility to publish this Exclusive review. Furthermore I would like to thank Volvo and Superkalle (our LDD Moderator) for giving me some very useful Volvo insights.
All images can be clicked for hi-res versions.
SET INFORMATION
Number: 42030
Title: Volvo L350F Wheel Loader
Theme: Technic
Released: 2H 2014
Part Count: 1636
Box Weight: 3541 gr
Box Dimensions: 57,5 x 47,8 x 12,0 cm
Set Price (MSRP): 219.99 EUR DE / 169.99 GBP / 249.99 USD
Price per Part: DE 0.134 EUR / UK 0.103 GBP / USA 0.153 USD
With a price tag of almost 220 euro, this is the most expensive Technic flagship to date. The average price of 0,134 euro part part immediately makes clear that this is no ordinary Technic set. A high price per part normally indicates that a set has lots of special parts, like motors and other Power Function elements.
THE BOX
The box measures 57,5 x 47,8 x 12,0 cm which is equal to the height and width of the box for the 42009 Mobile Crane Mk II. The main difference is that this box measures a depth of 12 cm instead of the Crane's 9 cm. The additional 3 cm is necessary for housing the new Bucket, which will be discussed later. The difference in weight between the Crane Mk II (4172 gr) and the Volvo (3541 gr) is about 631 gram which is not that much, taking in account that the Crane has 970 pieces more (2606) than the Volvo (1636). One thing is sure; this box will leave little room for other Christmas presents under the tree later this year!
FRONT SIDE
The front of the box shows an impressive picture of the model, no surprise here. Like with most bigger models the size of the model is printed on the box. When finished, this model will measure a length of 58 cm and a height of 38.5 cm. The front also shows a Power Functions section stating it has "fully remote-controlled driving and digging functions.". The bottom right shows the large number of Power Function components this set contains.
BACK SIDE
The back side shows the B-model which is the Volvo A25F Articulated Dump Truck. The preliminary image of the back side explicitly showed an iPad with the digital building app. The iPad didn't make if to the final box, which makes you wonder whether the iPad instructions won't be available at all. Could it be that the size of the B-model is pushing the boundaries of building with the iPad app?! Another possibility is that the iPad app will be available later than the release of this set.
INSIDE
When opening the flip-up cover some cool facts of the real Volvo are revealed, together with a picture of the Power Functions and a demonstration of the manual functions. There's also a picture to emphasize the green engine.
Name: L350F
Horse Power: 540 HP (397 kW)
Weight: 52 metric tons
Bucket Volume: 6,9 m3
INSIDE COVER
The inside of the cover is devoted to the Power Functions. Again all the PF elements are shown. Two remote controls are used for operating the boom and driving the vehicle. It's not necessary to switch between these functions. Three small pictures explain how the Power Functions are controlled.
SIDE
The side of the box shows the actual size of the bucket, which measures a width of 18,2 cm! Now it's clear why the box needed to be bigger than last year's flagship.
CONTENTS OF THE BOX
The box contains:
14 Bags
1 Booklet
1 Sticker Sheet
1 Bucket
4 Yellow Rims
4 Tires
9 Power Functions Components
BAGS
The box contains 14 bags in varying sizes. Business as usual so far.
BOOKLET
One of the first times we encounter a single booklet for a set this size. When you have built the 42009 Crane you might have seen this before. The first production runs of the Crane included 6 booklets, which later changed into a single booklet. I really appreciate a single booklet, since it more or less reflects the size of the model.
STICKER SHEET
Not only does the sticker sheet contain stickers for the A-model, but it includes stickers for the B-model as well, which is pretty unusual. This does mean that you either need to remove the A-model's stickers when you are building the B-model, or buying a few extra parts dedicted to the B-model's stickers.
HIGHLIGHTED PARTS
This section describes the unique and/or highlighted parts. We'll start with the massive Bucket which obviously is the star of the show!
BUCKET
This type of bucket is called a Spade Nose Rock Bucket. It's primary use is lifting blasted rock and the spade nose is to obtain maxium penetration when digging into the gravel. On a real bucket, the teeth are interchangeable, because they wear out.
Volvo’s range of buckets is very comprehensive, encompassing buckets for all types of jobs and all types of materials; from rock and stone to ore and wood chips.
Type: Spade Nose Rock Bucket
Capacities: 1,8 – 7,5 m3
Applications: Hard and stony material, shot rock and where good penetration is needed.
Options: Pin/hook-on, bolt-on edge, welded teeth & segments.
Using a real Volvo with spade nose bucket, you could easily haul over 200 LEGO Volvo boxes and probably more than 300 LEGO Volvo models.
The following two images show a comparison in size with the Bucket formerly known as the Big Bucket. The older big bucket is used in 8265 Front Loader. As you can see the previous version can easily fit inside the Volvo's Spade Nose Bucket. Makes you wonder how big the finished model will be!!
The distance between the upper and lower holes for attaching the bucket is 5L, where this is 3,5L for the older bucket.
POWER FUNCTIONS COMPONENTS
The number of Power Functions components is unprecedented. No other Technic set has such a vast array of PF components. Admittedly, the 8043 Excavator also has 9 PF elements, but that set only contains M-motors.
1x Battery Box
2x Infrared Receiver
2x Remote Control
1x M-motor
1x L-motor
1x XL-motor
1x Servo motor
All of the four available types of PF motors are included in this set. The new L-motor and Servo Motor are found in the 9398 Crawler and it's Exclusive Edition counterpart, the 41999 Crawler Exclusive Edition. The L-motor is also available in the beforementioned Crane Mk II.
What's special about this set, is the return of the XL-motor. This motor was about to become a rare PF motor, since it hasn't been used in an official set since 2009. The last Technic set it appeared in was the 8258 Crane Truck (also by Uwe Wabra).
What I really like about the XL-motor is it's coasting behavior. Coasting is performing a natural deceleration of a motor when the power is removed. In simple words; the motor doesn't immediately stall after you stop applying power to it. This results in fluent vehicle deceleration. The L-motor doesn't coast which results in the vehicle abrubtly stopping. I very much dislike this shocky behavior on the crawler, so I am glad TLG used the XL-motor for propulsion. Although it had probably more to do with the torque (40 N.cm for XL vs 18 N.cm for L) than the coasting behavior.
WHEELS
For the first time we get to see the Wheel 56mm D. x 34mm Technic Racing Medium, 6 Pin Holes in Yellow, which is great for bigger construction vehicles.
TIRES
I was hoping the, so called, Unimog tires would make their way into an official flagship set at least once more. So I was glad to see TLG apparently had the same thought and used these great tires for the Volvo again.
WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLY
Below is a picture of the complete wheel and tire assembly.
ENGINE CYLINDERS
Technic Engine Cylinders come in two variants, Cylinders with Side Slots and a newer version Cylinders without Side Slots. The newer version only got produced in light bluish grey, up until now. One of the characteristic features of Volvo machines is their green engine color, originating from the Penta Corporation.
Volvo was founded in 1927 and the first engines were bought from Penta Corporation who made green engines, and so just shipped the same color to Volvo. In 1935 Volvo bought Penta (which became Volvo Penta, the marine division). The engines were continued to be painted green. All engines back then were petrol engines. Volvo's first diesel, VDA, was made in 1945. From the 1950's some engines were painted red, but mostly these were for Volvo Cars, and were petrol engines. As for production Diesel Engines in heavy machinery and trucks, they have always been painted green since the start.
THIN LIFTARMS
The Black Thin Liftarm 1x7 is not very special, but it doesn't appear in Technic sets that often. The Yellow Thin Liftarm 1x6 used to be pretty rare, since it was only included in the 8457 Power Puller. However, last year this part got reintroduced in the 42024 Container Truck. The Light Bluish Grey Thin Liftarm 1x5 with Axle Holes on Ends was introduced in Black in 2013. This is the first time this part appears in another color.
AXLE AND PIN CONNECTOR
The Yellow Axle and Pin Connector #6 - 90 degrees was last used in the Technic 8258 Crane Truck in 2009, until it made it's comeback in 2012 in the 5885 Triceratops Trapper. Just like the XL-motor Uwe Wabra is using this part again in a Technic set.
PANELS
Finally we can see a small selection of panels. Mostly old style Yellow Panel Curved 11 x 3 with 2 Pin Holes and a single Black Black Panel Curved 11 x 3 with 10 Pin Holes.
PART LIST
Here's the complete list for all 1636 parts.
BUILDING EXPERIENCE
Enough with the boring part...let's build a Volvo!
CHASSIS
You start building the chassis and after a few steps, the pendular rear axle is taking shape. The small turntable proves to be an asset to the Technic parts catalogue. Another useful part is the Steering Portle Axle, which is rapidly becoming the workhorse of big Technic vehicles. Ordinarily it's placed vertically to provide higher ground clearance, but as you can see, it can be used horizontally as well.
Here you can see images of the front and rear sections, which will be joined a bit later in the build.
The front and rear section joined together. The wheelbase does not reflect the size of the finished model.
Here's a picture of the articulation mechanism of the vehicle.
PF MOTORS
The four motors are equally divided over the front and rear section. Because two of the motors (M and L) are placed in the front section, there's no need to transfer gears or axles from the rear section. Three (M, L and Servo) of the four motors are placed vertically, while the XL-motor is placed horizontally in the back.
VOLVO D16E LAE3 ENGINE
The Volvo D16E LAE3 is a straight six-cylinder high performance, low emission turbocharged diesel engine with direct injection, air-to-air intercooler and Internal Exhaust Gas Recirculation (I-EGR). The engine has a one piece cylinder head with four valves per cylinder one overhead camshaft. Furthermore, the engine has wet replaceable cylinder liners, replaceable valve guides and valve seats. The Engine with V-ACT (Volvo Advanced Combustion Technology) features split injection, optimized air handling and turbocharger with waste gate. High torque at low engine speed gives the engine its characteristic feature: quick response at low rpms, even under load.
The three white Round Pin Connectors with Slot are the engines oil filters. Two of them are normal, high flow filters and the third one is a fine filter that is optimized to catch finer particles, but has a slower flow. When engine load is moderate and oil/lubrication need is also moderate, much of the oil is directed to the fine filter. When the engine is working at maximum, all oil is instead passed through the two normal filters.
LOAD SENSING HYDRAULIC SYSTEM
The L350F features an intelligent load-sensing hydraulic system. Two variable piston pumps provide exactly the flow rate and pressure required at any given moment in time, distributing the power where it’s needed, when it’s needed. When flow is not required in the hydraulic system, all engine power is diverted to the drivetrain. This provides smoother operation, lower fuel consumption, and more precise control of machine and load. You always get full power, regardless of revs.
The LEGO version uses three Linear Actuators instead of an hydraulic system.
NOTE
I made an error placing the LA. The top LA in the picture below should be flipped, resulting in the attachment point being at the bottom instead of the top. Thanks to Jantjeuh for pointing this out.
CHASSIS AND BODYWORK
At this point the chassis and bodywork are almost finished.
LOADER Z-BAR LINKAGE
The L350F is a heavy duty, primary production loader intended for multi-shift, high production applications. High breakout force in the digging position, high lift capacity and fast hydraulic speeds are the essential requirements for a primary production loader. The Z-bar linkage is a field-proven, effective linkage in this loader size class. The refined geometry is the same for both standard and long boom and allows common bucket range with an open design.
Below is an image of the Linear Actuators operating the Z-bar linkage.
ROTATING LIGHT
A small detail I particularly like is the small rotating light on the top of the cabin. Other models use a transparent 2x2 Round Brick which is way too big. This smaller version fits better!
STEPS
The image of the real Volvo on the inside of the box shows the steps on the left side of the vehicle, while they are mounted on the right side of the LEGO version. After some research I found out that the L350F used to have the steps on both sides of the cab, but it was not a safe solution for the operator when he had to climb up the steps into the cab with a lunch box. So late last year Volvo changed the design and eliminated the steps on the left side and made the steps on the rear fender standard. Another cool feature that Volvo included was the “remote door opener”, so as the operator approaches the machine, he presses the remote door opener and the door opens automatically and the entrance lights shine down on the steps for additional safety when climbing into the cab when it is dark.
INFRARED RECEIVERS
The infrared receivers have been placed nicely behind the cabin, hardly visible. Although the box states that V2 receivers are included, there is no V2 sign on the ones I found in my set.
FINISHED MODEL
It took me approximately 7 hours to finish this model. I reckon most of you will finish it in about 6 hours.
FRONT VIEW
The finished model looks stunning! It's really massive. Even though I love the looks of this model, I can't help wondering why TLG didn't make some wheel caps to fill the rims and make the wheels look more massive too.
REAR VIEW
The rear looks great as well. In this picture the battery box is clearly visible, but from a normal viewing angle, it's almost hidden from sight.
BOTTOM VIEW
Just as you would expect. Nothing out of the ordinary to see here.
THE GAP
The side view of the Volvo is one of my main concerns. While the rear section looks massive and lifelike. The front section looks unfinished, especially the part in front of the cabin. Also, the bottom of the first section of the boom could use some more bricks to make it look more immense, just like the real machine.
PARTS LEFT
Quite a few parts left, even three Axles (5L, 6L and 7L). Of course nothing the bucket can't handle!
FUNCTIONALITY
This model has quite a few functions. The main four functions are:
Articulated Steering
Driving
Raising and Lowering the Boom
Operating the Bucket
Besides these motorized functions, there are some manual features.
ARTICULATED STEERING
Wheel Loaders typically use articulated steering. Articulated steering is a system by which a four-wheel drive vehicle is split into front and rear halves which are connected by a vertical hinge. The front and rear halves are connected with one or more hydraulic cylinders that change the angle between the halves, including the front and rear axles and wheels, thus steering the vehicle. This system does not use steering arms, king pins, tie rods, etc. as does four-wheel steering. If the vertical hinge is placed equidistant between the two axles, it also eliminates the need for a central differential, as both front and rear axles will follow the same path, and thus rotate at the same speed. Long road trains, articulated buses, and internal transport trolley trains use articulated steering to achieve smaller turning circles, comparable to those of shorter conventional vehicles. Articulated haulers have very good off-road performance. (Wikipedia)
Steering is controlled by the Servo Motor. There was some disappointment in the community because the steering looked very jerky in the videos from the Nuremberg Toy Fair. I must admit I didn't like it either. The Servo Motor has two modes, on (in either direction) or off. This means there's no gradual steering mode, it's hard left, hard right or straight on. This is illustrated in the images below. Playing around with the LEGO model, I experienced that the steering indeed is a bit jerky, but for playability it isn't as bad as it seems. A solution with Linear Actuators would have been more realistic. But since the Volvo basically is a kids toy, I can accept the jerky steering.
LIFTING THE BUCKET
The boom and bucket are also operated using Power Functions. Both the boom and the bucket are operated with the remote and both functions are working properly at a nice speed!
LIFTING LOAD
The Volvo is powerful enough to lift it's own weight. That no surprise, since it can lift up to 1 kg of load!!
ENGINE BAY
The engine bay can be opened from various sides for maintenance, like changing the oil filters.
Opening the back reveals the big green 6 cylinder engine with the cooling fan. The D16E engine has a hydraulically driven, electronically controlled cooling fan and intercooler of the air/air type. The system not only results in quieter operation, but also lowers the fuel consumption.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT
Replacing the batteries in the battery box is fairly easy. Remove the two axles with red bush and unlock the black long pin with stop bush and you can easily detach the battery box from the vehicle.
COMPARISON WITH 8265
Inevitable is the comparison with it's predecessor; the 8265 Front Loader. For a non-flagship set, the 8265 already was an impressive Front Loader. The following pictures show how big the Volvo actually is. It trumps the old Front Loader in every way.
SUMMARY
The LEGO Volvo is nothing short of spectacular! I might even go out on a limb by claiming that this is one of the coolest LEGO Technic models....ever! If not THE coolest! True, there are better looking models. True, there are technically more advanced models. However, this models combines a lot of factors, like playability, looks and the sheer size is stupendous. Adding the Volvo brand and stickers is the icing on the cake.
My all time favorite Technic model is the 8043 Motorized Excavator, since this model combines, looks, functionality and playability. The Volvo shares the exact same properties, but it contains a lot more cool parts than the Excavator, a wider variety of Power Functions for instance, a gargantuan unique bucket and Unimog wheels.
In all fairness; reading my own summary, I can only come to the conclusion that I like the Volvo even more than the Excavator! Even though the price is pretty steep, I would definitely recommend getting this set.
PROS
Offers lots of playability
No need to switch between functions
Finished model is massive
LEGO Volvo looks like a genuine L350F
Gargantuan unique bucket
Unimog wheels
CONS
The gap in front of the cabin
Front section looks unfinished compared to the rear section
Omission of wheel caps to make the wheels look more massive
Jerky steering due to servo motor (minor con)
SCORE
Design 9: Stunning looks and the sheer size is impressive. Volvo stickers are the icing on the cake.
Build 8,5: Very enjoyable build, but nothing too spectacular.
Functionality 9: Four different fully remote controlled functions, combined with some manual functions.
Playability 9: Fully remote controlled and no need to switch between functions.
Parts 10: It doesn't get any better than this. Entire range of PF motors (including XL Motor), Unimog Tires, unique Yellow Rims and much more!
Value for Money 8,5: Although the price is pretty steep, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
9 Bucket Size Does Matter!
Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and please rate this set at the top of this topic!

Hi everyone,
today I am going to present to you my most recent MOC, it's an inverted trike with an old design, and motorized with RC and servo-motor. I built it to improve the way how a small RC takes curves at high speed and accelerates. So it has two wheels on the front, with drive and steering and a single wheel on the back. It also has full independant suspension.
I'll make a video soon, just need to find the time :)

Another one of my "holy grail" sets came a few days ago. The first being the 8420 Street Bike and now the 8265 Front Loader. I bought it used and it came unassembled with 100% of the parts, instruction booklets and all the necessary power function accessories to motorize it. It was $160US including shipping and while that is still expensive I saved around $100 by buying used. The build process was really fun and the finished model is actually better than I had pictured it and it matches perfectly with the 8043 excavator.
I was trying to figure out which real loader Lego modeled the 8265 after, and to me it resembles a mid to top of the range Caterpillar.

I have to replace 8110's tires (94,8 x 38R) with rc rock crawlers' tires (like those in th picture) to give more traction to my Tatra T813 4x4 RC Trial Truck. Who of you know tires about the size of the set 9398 that do not cost more than $5 each?